Wireworking machine and method



May 26, 1936.

E. H. SCHANE -2,042,128

WIRE WORKING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Jan. 3, 1953 6 Sheets-Sheet l Arm/ave Ys May 26, 1936.

E. H. SCHANE WIRE WORKING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Jan. 3, 1933 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 llllllllll.

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E. H. SCHANE 2,042,128 v WIRE WORKING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Jan. 3, 1933 6 Sheet-Sheet 3 ArraP/ws' rs May 26, 1936. H SCHANE 2,042,128

WIRE WORKING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Jan. 5, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 V \Q\ m& n: $3

May 26, 1936. E. H. SCHANE WIRE WORKING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Jan. 3, 1933 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 My Arm Ewe: rs

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.1 8% EM 8% \R QR NR wk wbm y 1936. E. H. SCHANE v WIRE WORKING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Jan. 3, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 agm Awawme: famaeafl Saw/we i om ai Arrae/vsvs Patented May 26, 1936 P T s T wmawoanmo. MACHINE AND METHOD Edward H. Schane, Lakewood, Ohio, assignor to The Greif Bros. Cooperage 00., Cleveland, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Application January 3,

35 Claims.

present invention to provide a novel machine for and method of manufacturing such hangers in large quantities at low cost, which will be simple and rugged in construction, cheap to manufacture, will require little floor space, and which will be automatic in operation.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel machine for forming garment hangers of the type referred to, in which wires 20 of predetermined length are intermittently advanced through the machine and the various op.- erations successively performed thereon at a plurality of positions or stations.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an automatic machine for manufacturing garment hangers of the type referred to, in which the wire is fed to the machine preferably in a continuous length from a reel, and the machine itself straightens and cuts the wire to length, positions the same with reference to a loop forming mandrel so that when the wire is bent to form the body loop one end will extend beyond the other, bends the wire about the loop forming mandrel to form the body loop, positions or bends the. ends of the wire into parallel relation. twists the parallel ends to form the twisted shank of the hanger, and bends the long end of the wire to form a hook thereon.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art from the following description of the preferred embodiment thereof, described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a front elevation of a machine embodying the. present invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan of the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a section approximately on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, with portions shown in elevation.

Fig. 5 is a section approximately on the line 55 of Fig. 3, with portions shown in elevation.

Fig. 6 is a section approximately on the line 6-6 of Fig.3, with portions shown in elevation.

in quite general use and it is the object of the 1933, Serial No. 649.750

Fig. '7 is a section approximately on the line 1--I of Fig. 3, with portions shown in elevation.

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of-Fig. 4.

Fig. 10 is a section on the line lO-ill-of Fig. 6.

' Fig. 11 is a section on the line H-ll of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a section on the line l2--I2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 13 is a section on the line i3--l3 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 14 is an elevation of a finished garment hanger.

' Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In general the machine consists of a plurality of intermittently operated feed rolls supported at one side of a frame, adapted to draw wire from a reel through straightening rolls and feed the same across a horizontal bed and underneath one end of a loop forming mandrel supported thereabove. The wire is cut to predetermined length and positioned with reference to the loop forming mandrel so that when the same is bent around the mandrel the one end will be longer than the other. Thereafter the wire is intermittently transferred or moved in predetermined timed'i'elation to the feeding operation in a direction normal to the feed direction, through a plurality of stations hereinafter referred to as the loop forming, shank forming, twisting, and hook forming stations, at whichstations the various operations such as bending the wire about the loop forming mandrel to form the body loop, bending the ends of the wire to form the parallel shank portion, twisting the parallel ends to form the twisted shank, and bending the long end of the wire to form the hook thereon are performed by suitable dies located at the different stations. The operations are intermittently performed simultaneously upon a plurality of wires in various stages of production and the transfer of the wires from station to station takes place simultaneously during the interim between operations.

Referring to the drawings, the frame of the machine designated in general by the reference character A, consists of a base ill, a horizontal bed ll supported by legs l2 and provided with a plurality of bosses I3 and H, in which a drive shaft i5 is rotatably supported, l8 and IS in which a cam shaft 20 is rotatably supported, 2|, 22, and 23 in which the cam shaft 24 is rotatably supported, and 26 and 21 in which the cam shaft 28 is rotatably supported.

The drive shaft I5 is driven from an electric motor 33 supported on the bed I0 through a flexible connection in the form of a sprocket chain 34, connected to a drive sprocket 36 on the mo.- tor shaft 38, and a driven sprocket 38 rotatably supported on the shaft I5 and adapted to be operatively connected thereto by a manually operated clutch 40. The clutch 40 may be of any well known construction and per se forms no part of the present invention and will not be described in detail. The clutch is adapted to "be operated from any convenient part of the machine by mechanism which may include any desired arrangement of levers and/or shafts, etc. The clutch mechanism illustrated includes a clutch thimble 4I adapted to be reciprocated along the shaft I5 to engage and disengage the clutch by a lever 42 secured to a rod or shaft 43 slidably supported in brackets attached to the legs I2. The rod 43 is operated by a. manually operated lever 44 pivotally connected to the frame of the machine. The cam shaft 20 is driven from the drive shaft I5 through spur gears 45 and 46 fixed to the. drive shaft I5 and the cam shaft 20, respectively, and the cam shafts 24 and 28 are driven from the cam shaft 20 by miter gears 48, 49 and 50, 5I respectively.

The wire indicated by the reference character W is fed into the machine preferably from a reel (not shown) by intermittently driven feed rollers 55 and 56 which draw the same through sets of horizontal and vertical straightening rolls 5! and 58 respectively.

The lower feed roll 55 is keyed to one end of a short shaft 60 rotatably supported in a'bearing member 6| supported in a rectangular opening" in a bracket 63 bolted or otherwise secured to the bed II. The upper feed roller 56 is keyed to one end of a feed shaft 65 rotatably supported in a bearing member 66 slidably supported in the rectangular opening 62, and a bearing 61 formed on a bracket 68 secured to the bed II. The bearing member 66 is continuously urged in an upwardly direction to disengage the rollers 55 and 56 by springs I0 positioned in the rectangular opening 62, between the bearing members 6| and 66, and is moved in a downwardly direction to engage the rollers 55 and 56 by cam members II and I2 projecting through slots in a cover plate 14 bolted to the bracket 63 and adapted to engage the top of the bearing member 66. The cam members H and I2 are keyed to a short shaft "I3 rotatably supported in bosses formed on the top of the cover plate 14 and provided with a hand grasp lever I8 keyed thereto.

The lower feed roller 55 is driven from the feed shaft 65 by spur gear keyed to the shaft 65 and a similar gear in mesh therewith and keyed to the shaft 60. The feed shaft 65 is driven from the cam shaft 24 by a crank disk 83 keyed to one end thereof andprovided with an adjustable crank pin 84, through a connecting rod 85 and a sector plate 86 pivotally supported 'on a stud shaft 81 fixed to a leg 88 which supmesh with a pinion 93 rotatably supported on the feed shaft 65 and operatively connected thereto by a one-way driving clutch, preferably a pawl and ratchet mechanism, designated in general by the reference character 85, the de- Gear teeth 92 formed on the outer tails of construction of which are not illustrated or described as they are well known in the art. The crank pin 84 is adjusted radially of the crank disk 83 to vary the throw of the crank and in turn the feed, by a threaded rod 96 rotatably supported in the crank disk 83 and having threaded engagement with the crank pin 84.

In the feed mechanism illustrated the amount of wire fed at each operation is adjusted by moving the crank pin 84 radially of the crank disk 83, the feed rolls being.continuously in engagement with the wire, and the hand lever 18 being operated only when it is desired to operate the machine without the feed mechanism. It is to be understood that any feed mechanism, such as continuously driven feed rolls periodically closed so as to feed the wire intermittently, may be used in place of that illustrated, the mechanism illustrated merely being the preferred construc- .tion.

As the wire is fed into the machine it passes over a removable steel plate I00 in the bed II, which can be replaced upon wear, and under a loop forming mandrel IOI When'the required amount of wire has been fed the free end thereof either engages a gauge stop I02 carried on a rod or bar I03 slidably supported in a bracket I04 on the bed II, or lies adjacent thereto. The wire is then severed by a cutter I01 secured to a cutter arm I08, slidably supported in a bracket I09 bolted to the bed II. The cutter is continuously urged in a direction to retract the same from the path of the wire by'a' spring H0 and is moved in an opposite direction to cut the wire by a cam disk II2 fixed to the cam shaft 28,

through a lever II3 pivoted at II4 to the bed II, one end of which is operatively connected to the cutter arm I08 and the other end provided end of the wire be of constant length and that any variation in the length of wire fed be absorbed in the short end thereof. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the long end of the wire is on the left as viewed in Fig. 3, and after the wire has been severed by the cutter I01, the gauge stop I02 is moved to the right as viewed inFig. 3, by a cam II8 fixed to the cam shaft 24 to always return the end of the wire adjacent thereto to the same position. Preferably the wire is fed justshort of the gauge stop I02 since, under some circumstances, it would not be adequate to prevent overfeed of the wire depending upon the wire itself and the particular feeding mechanism employed. The rod or bar I03 carries a cam roller II9 which engages the cam II 8 and the roller is always held in engagement with the cam by ,a spring I20, one end of which is fixed to a pin on the rod or bar I03 and the other'end to a pin or bracket I04.

The loop forming mandrel IOI isgenerally triangular in shape to conform to the shape of the body loop desired, but if other shapes of body loops are desired the shape of the ma drel may be so modified to conform thereto, and is supported entirely from the front end thereof which is the left as viewed in Fig. 8, by a boss I28 formed integral therewith. The boss I23 is bolted to the bed H by bolts I24 and the remaining or triangular part of the mandrel IOI is spaced from the bed as previously stated, to provide space for the passage of the wires underneath. The loop forming mandrel IOI may be made of tool steel, if desired, but, as illustrated. is made of ordinary steel with tool steel inserts I25 at the places where it is subject to wear due to the action of the forming dies, etc., and carries a stationary die I26 secured thereto by machine screws, or in any convenient manner. The stationary die forms the apex of this triangle and functions in a manner hereinafter referred The loop forming mandrel IOI is stationary and the wires are moved therealong from station to station by a plurality of feed bars I28 and I29, the former of which are slidably supported in suitable grooves in the mandrel IOI and the latter in similar grooves in the bed II.

One end of the transfer bar I28 is adjustably connected to a triangular shaped member I3I by adjusting screws I32 which engage opposite sides of blocks I33 fixed to the member I3I. The adjusting screws I32 are threaded into rectangular blocks I34 carried by the transfer bars I28. The other end of the transfer bar I28 is connected toa member I36 somewhat similar to the member I3I. The transfer bars I29 are adjustably connected to the triangular member I3I by similar adjusting screws I31 threaded into rectangular blocks I38 carried by the transfer bars I29. The transfer bars I28 and I29 are provided with a plurality of spaced transfer fingers I40 pivotally connected by pins MI in slots I42 formed in the bars. The transfer fingers I40 are continuously urged in an outward direction to engage the wires by springs I43 positioned between the same and plates I44 secured to the under side of the freed bars.

The members I3I and I36 are secured to a shaft I45, slidably supported in the boss I23 of the mandrel IOI and a bushing I46 in the other end of the mandrel, by set screws I41 and I48. The shaft I45 is non-rotatably keyed in the boss I23 by a pin I49 carried thereby and which engages in a slot I50 in the shaft, and is moved towards the right, as viewed in Fig. 8, to advance the wires from station to station through the machine by a cam I5I on the cam shaft 20. A cam roller I52 rotatably supported in a cap member I53 secured by a pin to the front end of the shaft I45 is continuously held in engagement with the cam I5I by a spring I54 positioned over a reduced end of the shaft I45 and compressed between the shoulde'r formed thereon by the reduced end and the mandrel I0I.

The transfer mechanism is operated in predetermined timed relation to the other operations of the machine and advances the wires from station to station during the interim between the forming operations. While the wires are -held in the forming dies the transfer mechanism is returned moving the transfer bars to the left as viewed in Fig. 8, and the transfer fingers retract into the bars as they pass under the wires. The lower transfer bars I29 have five transfer fingers each, the front fingers of which transfer the wire from the feeding position to the first station and the last fingers eject the finished hanger from the machine. The upper transfer bars have only four transfer fingers each, those corresponding to the front fingers of the lower transfer bars I29 being omitted because the wire has not yet been bent up around the loop forming mandrel when it is transferred from the feeding position to the first station.

After the wire has been transferred from the feeding position to the first station, it is in the position illustrated in full line in Fig. 4, and at this station it is bent about the loop forming mandrel IOI to the position illustrated in dotted lines, by two dies I 55 and I56 pivotally connected to the under side ofthe bed II by pivots I51 and I58, respectively. The dies I55 and I56 are swung up through suitable openings I59 in the bed II to the position shown in dotted lines by a cross-bar I60, slidably supported on a shaft I6I secured to the under side of the bed II by a flange member I62, and operatively connected to the dies I55 and I56 by links I63 and I64, respectively. The cross-bar I60 is reciprocated in predetermined timed relation to the other operations of the machine by a lever I68 pivoted between its ends to a projection I69 on the bed I I by a pivot pin I10. One end of the lever I68 is pivotally connected to the cross-bar I60 by pins HI, and the other end to a rectangular block I12 adjustably secured to the lower end of a lever I13 by nuts I14. The lever I13 is reciprocated vertically by the engagement of a cam roller I16 carried thereby in a box cam I11 fixed to the cam shaft 24, and is guided in the vertical movement by the engagement of the cam shaft 24 in a slot I18 formed in the upper end of the lever. which is attached to the rectangular block I12 and the other end to the base I0, is employed to balance the weight of the mechanism operated by the box cam I11 but may be omittedif desired.

While the dies I55 and I56 are in the closed or upper positions shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, the wire is given a final set about the loop forming mandrel by horizontally movable dies I8I and I82. The dies IOI and I82 are carried by slide members I83-and I84, slidably supported in slots formed in the front faces of members I85 and I86, bolted to the bed II by bolts I81 and I88, and held in position therein by cover plates I89 and I90 respectively. The slide members I83 and I84 are moved towards and from the loop forming mandrel IN to engage the dies I8I and I82 with the dies I55 and I56, while these latter dies are in their upper position by cams I93 and I94 on the cam shafts 24 and 28, which engage cam rollers I 95 and I96 carried by the members I83 and I84 respectively.' The cam rollers I95 and I96 are held in contact with the cams I 93 and I94 by tension springs I99 and 200, the ends of which are attached to pins 20I and 202 secured to the top of the slide members I83 and I84 and'topins 203 and 204 secured to the top of the members I85 and I86.

As the wire is bent around the loop forming mandrel ml the ends of the same are guided to a crossed position by sheet metal guides 205 and 206 secured to the top thereof. The guides 205 and 206 are not essential to the operation of the machine as the wires will be properly positioned as they are bent around the mandrel by grooves 261 and 208 in the faces of the dies I55 and I56, which engage the wire and prevent the same from bending to either side.

The operation in the first station may be summarized as follows: With the parts in the position illustrated in Fig. 4 the dies are all open and a wire has just been transferred from the feeding A tension spring I19, one end ofposition to the first station. Continued rotation I11 to move the lever I13 downwardly and through the lever I68, the cross-bar I68, and the links I63 and I64, the dies I55 and I56 about their pivots I51 and I58, whereby the ends of the wire are bent up around the loop forming mandrel I8I. While the dies I55 and I56 are in this upper position, cams I93 and I94 move the dies I8I and I82, through the roller I95 and I96 and the slide members I83 and I84 toengage the dies I55 and I56 and give the wire a final set. While the dies are in their closed position and the wire is held thereby, the transfer mechanism is returned to its starting position and the transfer rods I28 and' I29 retracted or moved to the front to engage the next following wire, the transfer fingers I4I receding into the rods as they pass underneath the wire held in the dies, after which the bending dies are withdrawn or moved to their open position, the dies IN and I82 by the springs I99 and 288 and the dies I55 and- I56 by the box cam I11 and/or the weight ofthe crossbar I68 etc.

After the dies have released the wire the transfer mechanism is again operated to transfer the wire in the first station to the second station and the following wire from the feeding position to the first station.

The wire reaches the second station in the form illustrated in full lines in Fig. andis bent into the form shown in dotted lines in this station by the stationary die I26 and cooperating movable dies 2I4 and 2I5. The movable dies H4 and 2I5 are carried by slide members M6 and 2I1 slidably supported in slots formed in the rear faces of members I85 and I86 and held in position therein by cover plates 2| 8 and 2I9 respectively. The slide members 2 I 6 and 2 I 1 are moved towards the loop forming mandrel IM to carry the movable dies 2I4 and 2I5 towards the stationary die I26 by cams 222 and 223 carried by the cam shafts 24 and 28, which engage cam rollers 224 and 225 carried by the members 21I6 and 2I1, respectively. The cam rollers 224 and 225 are'held in contact with the cams 222 and 223 by tension springs 226 and 221, the ends of which are attached to pins 238 and 23I secured to sidesof the members I85 and I86 and to pins 232 and 233 secured to the members 2I6 and 2I1. The faces of the dies 2I4 and 2I5 are formed with grooves 234 and 235 which engage the wire as the same is being bent and guide the ends thereof in parallel vertical relationship.

It is thought that the operation in this station will be apparent from the foregoing description,

suffice it to say that the dies 2I4 and 2I5 are operated in predetermined timedrelation to the other operations of the machine and that while the wire is held in the dies the transfer mechanism is retracted in preparation for advancing the wires another step or to the next succeeding station in the machine.

The wire reaches the third station in the form illustrated in Fig. 6, and at this station the projection or upstanding edgesof the wire are twisted together leaving the wire in the form shown in Fig. 7. The twisting mechanism illustrated comprises a twisting gear 248 provided with a hub 24I and rotatably supported in a cylindrical or counterbored aperture 242 in a member 243. The twisting gear 248 is provided with a flared radial slot 245, the extremity of which embraces one tooth and two tooth spaces. The slot 245 extends past the center of 'the gear a distance approximately equal 'to the diameter of the wire to be twisted and the bottom of the slot is only wide enough to accommodate the wire to be twisted. When the slot 245 extends'into the hub 24I it is made larger than the corresponding part in the gear 248 to permit the wire enclosed by the hub to be twisted. If desired the hub 24I may be omitted altogether from the twisting gear or the slot therein made the same as in the gear. When the hub 24I is omitted the gear takes its bearing at the periphery of the teeth.

The twistinggear 248 is continuously in mesh with a gear 258 rotatably supported in an aperture 25I in the member 243 and keyed to the lower end of a vertical spindle 252. The spindle 252 is rotatably supported at its lower end in the member 243 by the gear 258 and at its upper end by a center in the form of a screw 253 threaded into a member 254 fixed to thetop of a rod 255 secured in the member 243. The screw 253 may be adjusted to take up Wear etc. and is held in any adjusted position by a lock nut 256. The gear 258 is provided with a hub 258 similar to the hub 24] on gear 248 and both gears are held in position in the apertures 242 and 25I by a cover plate 268 bolted to the member 243.

The gear 258 is provided with an enlarged tooth 26I to mesh with the slot 245, and both the member 243 and the coverplate 268 are provided with slots 263 and 264, respectivel to allow the projecting ends of the wire to engage in the slot 245 in the twisting gear 248 as the gear is moved 30 towards the right as viewed in Fig. 6. The member 243 is bolted to a slide member 266 slidably supported on the bed I I between the member I85 and a member 261 secured to the bed by the bolts 268, and the entire twisting mechanism is moved towards and from the wire in predetermined timed relation to the other operations of the machine, by a box cam 21 8 carried on-the cam shaft 24 and operatively connected to the slide member 266 by a cam roller 21I secured on av projecting arm 212 on the member 266.

The twisting gear 248 is rotated from the spindle 252 through the gear 258 by vertical movement of a nut 215 which has threaded engagement with a spiral slot 218 in the spindle 252. As illustrated the nut is non-rotatably carried in a vertically movable member 219 guided by the rod 255. The member 219 is reciprocated along the rod 255 by a lever 288 pivotally supported by a pin 28I, in projections 282 and 283 on the slide member 266. The right hand end of lever 288, as viewed in Fig. 6, is Y-shaped and the projecting prongs 285 and 286 are pivotally connected by pins 281 and 288 to upstanding lugs 289 and 298 on the member 219. The other end of the lever 288 is provided with a cam roller 292 adapted to be engaged and operated by a cam 293 carried on the cam shaft 24. A spring 294 retains the cam roller 292 in engagement with the cam 293 and returns the lever 288 toits starting position after the ends of the ,wires have been twisted.

In operation it is necessary that the. twisting gear 248 be stopped with the slot 245 opening towards the wire or the right, as viewed in Fig. 6 or 10, so that the twisting gear can be moved over the wires before twisting and away from or I embodiment illustrated the lower positions of the nut 215 are determined by the cam 293 and the upper position by an adjusting screw 295 threaded into a plate 296 bolted to the projections 282 and 283 and locked in any adjustedposition by a lock nut 291. A member 298secured to the underside of the slide member 266 and having a slot in its face adjacent the stationary die I26 is adapted to engage the left hand vertical wire, as viewed in Fig. 6, when the twisting mechanism is moved over the wire preparatory to twisting, and hold the wire clamped therebetween and the stationary die I26 during the twisting operation.

A slide member 300 slidably supported in a slot formed in the top of the member 30! bolted to the top of the bed I l by bolts 302 carries two narrow plates 303 and 304 secured to one end thereof. The member 300' is held in position in the slot in the member 30! by a cover plate 305 secured to the top of the member 30!, and is reciprocated towards and from the twisting mechanism by a cam 30! carried on the cam shaft 28, and which engages a cam roller 308 carried on the right hand end thereof as viewed in Fig. 6. The cam roller 308 is held in engagement with the cam 30! by a tension spring 3i0, one end of which is attached to a pin 31 l secured in the cover plate 305, and the other end to a pin 3l2 secured in the member 300. A slot 3I4 in the cover plate 305 permits free movement of the pin 3|2 and the member 300.

The upper plate 303 is adapted to fit or slide into the slot 264 in the cover plate 200 and is provided with a slot 3 l through which the wires project. The lower plate 304 is provided with a groove 3l6 in the face thereof adjacent the stationary die I26 adapted to engage the right hand vertical wire as viewed in Fig. 6, when the member 300 is moved to the left, and hold the wire clamped therebetween and the stationary die during the twisting operation.

The twisting operation is performed in predetermined timed relation to the other operations of the machine and may be summarized as fol lows: With the parts in the open position illustrated in Fig. 6, the wire or hanger has just been moved to the twisting station in the form illustrated. Continued rotation of the cam shafts 24 and 28 causes both the twisting mechanism and the member 300 to be moved towards the projecting ends of the wires. This movement continues until the twisting mechanism has been advanced to where the wires are seated in the bottom of the slot 245 as shown in Fig. 10, at which time member 300 has advanced to where the plate 303 is positioned in the slot 264 in the cover plate 260 with the ends of the wire projecting through the.

slot 3l5, and the base ofthe projecting wires are securely held between the stationary die I26 and the member 298 and the plate 304.

. The nut 275 is then moved down over the spindie 252 by the cam 293, rotating the spindle 252,

the gear 250 and the twisting gear 240 approximately two'revolutions to give .the ends of the wire two twists. Preferably the-twisting gear 240 is rotated slightly more than two revolutions and then allowed to drop back or reverse slightly .be-

cause of the spring in'the:wire. The slot 245 will,

again open towards thecenter of the machine and the twisting mechanism and the member 300 are returned to their retracted :positionaway from the wires. After'the twisting gear 240' has been moved clear of the 'twisted-wiresthe nut is returned tofits upper or starting position, and the wire or :hangr transferred to the hook forming station.

One means of operating the twisting gear 240 has been illustrated but it is'to be understood that the gear in y be operated in any convenient manher. The nut 2l5'lcouldbe-rotatably supported in the member2'l6 witliJa-one-Way driving conneccould be returned to its upper position before the twisting gear 240 had cleared the twisted ends of the wire without untwisting the same and it is the intention to cover any such construction. In the construction illustrated it is necessary to withdraw the twisting mechanism until the twisting gear 240 clears the twisted wires before the nut 215 can be returned to its starting position. It is also necessary to twist the wires full turns in order to permit withdrawal of the twisting gear 240 therefrom, but the wires may be given any number of twists or turns desired, the two turns illustrated merely being the preferred number of turns.

The wire or hanger reaches the fourth or hook forming station in the form illustrated in Fig. 7, and in this station a hook is'formed upon the projecting or long end of the wire by cooperating cylindrical and concave dies 320 and 32!. The cylindrical die 320 is carried upon oneendof a. slide member 322 slidably supported in a groove or slot formed in the top of the member 261 and is held in position therein by a cover plate 323. The slide member 322 is reciprocated in the slot in the member 261 by a cam 325 carried by the cam shaft 24 which engages a cam roller 326 carried thereby. The cam roller 326 is held in engagement with the cam 325' by a tension spring 328, one end of which is connected to a pin 329 secured to the cover plate 323, and the other end to a pin 330 secured to the top of the slide member 322 and projection through a slot 33l in the cover plate 323. f Y

The cylindrical die 320 forces the projecting wire into the concave die 32l, upon reciprocation of the member 322 towards the right, as viewed in Fig. '7, to partly form the hook. The concave die keyed to a shaft 339, rotatably supported in the housing 335, and continuously in mesh with the gear teeth 336 on theperiphery of the die 32!. The shaft 339 is periodically oscillated in predetermined timed relationto the other operation of the machine, by a lever 340 keyed thereto, the

free end of which is pivotally connected to one 3 end of a rod 34 l the other end of which is adjustably connectedto a member 342 pivotally connected to the upper end of alever 344. The lever 344 is pivotally supported, as at 345, to a projecting lug 346 on the member 30| and carriesion its ,lower ends. camroller 348' adaptedto be engaged and operated bya cam 349, .carried by-thecam shaft 28; A tension spring 350,'one end of whichis connected to a bracket 35 I bolted to theto'p of the member'30l', and; the otherend-to" the lever 344 above its pivotjretainsthejcam roller 348" in engagementwith the eam'aae *and 'returns the concave die 32] to its' st'arting"position after'the hookhas been formed? I l f, 5

- "de member 354; m r -ramp: sheet'metah secured .to the top of; ,the

emb r 1 a een as- I ing the face of the housing 335, 'as'sists in'guidin'g the endof the wire aboutthecylindrical die 320, but is not necessary-to.thesoperation of the chine, as the wire may be guided by other means or need not be guided at all.

The concave die 32L which as illustrated, is one-half of a gear, is rotatably supported in the housing 335 by the engagement of flanges 355 on the sides thereof in curved or arc-shaped slots on the inside walls of the housing, but it is to be understood that the die may be supported in any suitable manner, and may be directly operated from the rod 3 without the intermediate mechanism including the gear 338, etc. It is believed that the operation of the mechanism at this station will be apparent from the foregoing description thereof, suflice it to say that the completed hanger is ejected from the machine by the transfer mechanism as soon as the cylindrical die releases the same and before the cylindrical die has moved to the left far enough to open the hook. It will be noted that after the twisting operation the short end of the wire lies to the right of the long projecting end of the wire, and that afterthe hook has been formed it lies underneath the rear of the hook in an unexposed position.

A completed garment hanger, indicated in general by the reference character H, is illustrated in Fig. 14, the various parts of which are indicated as follows: cross-bar 360, coat arms 36l and 362, and hook 363.

The wire W'is preferably fed from a reel supported on a stud adjacent the machine, and adapted to be intermittently rotated through a friction or one-way driving connection at the beginning of each feeding operation to relieve the pull of the reel. This feature is of particular advantage where the reel is very heavy and may be operated from the sector 86 if desired. The feeding and cutting mechanism illustrated may be omitted altogether from the machine and the wire fed thereto in predetermined lengths, either by manual means or some feed mechanism adapted to automatically feed predetermined lengths of wire.

" From the foregoing description it will be apparent that a novel machine for forming garment hangers of the type referred to has been provided, which will be simple and rugged in construction, and which will automatically produce garment hangers from a single length of wire by a plurality of operations, performed on the wire as it is intermittently advanced through the machine. While all the cams with the exception of cams I11 and 210 are shown as face cams, it is to be understood that box cams could be substituted therefor without changing the operation of the device, in which event the various springs used in cooperation with the face cams could be omitted and such a construction is contemplated.

The invention has been illustrated and described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, but I do not wish to be limited to the particular construction illustrated, and described, which may be varied within the scope of this invention, and I particularly point out and claim as my invention the following:

1. The method of forming a coat hanger, which includes moving a predetermined length of wire in a direction normal to its axis along a mandrel, bending the wire about the mandrel, twisting the ends of the wire, and forming a hook on one end of the wire during its movement along said mandrel.

'2. The method of forming a coat hanger, which includes feeding a continuous length of wire in mentioned movement.

3. A wire working machine comprising a frame, means supported by said frame adapted to support a wire, means supported by said frame adapted to bend the wire to form a loop, means supported by said frame adapted to twist the ends of the wire together, means supported by said frame adapted to form a hook on one end of the wire, and means supported by said frame adapted to transfer the wire from one of said means to another.

4. A wire working machine comprising a frame, means on said frame adapted to support a wire, means supported by said frame adapted to bend the wire to form a loop portion, means supported by said frame adapted to bend the ends of the wire into parallel relationship, means supported by said frame adapted to twist the ends of the wire together, means supported by said frame adapted to bend one end of the wire to form a hook thereon, and means supported by said frame adapted to transfer the wire from one of said means to another.

5. A wire working machine comprising a frame, means supported by said frame adapted to feed a continuous length of wire to the machine, means supported by said frame adapted to cut the wire into predetermined lengths,'means supported by said frame adapted to bend the wire to form a loop portion, means supported by said machine adapted to twist the ends of the 'wire together, means supported by said frame adapted to bend one end of the wire to form a hook thereon, and means supported by said frame adapted to transfer the wire from one of said means to another.

6. A wire working machine comprising a mandrel, means adapted to position wire adjacent said mandrel, means adapted to move said wire longitudinally of said mandrel, means located adjacent said mandrel adapted to bend the wire thereabout, and means located adjacent said mandrel adapted to twist the ends of the wire together and form a hook on one end of the wire during the travel of the wire along said mandrel.

7. A wire working machine comprising a mandrel, means adapted to position wire adjacent said mandrel, means adapted to move the wire longitudinally of said mandrel, means located adjacent said mandrel adapted to bend the wire thereabout, means located adjacent said mandrel adapted to twist the ends of the wire together,

and means located adjacent said mandrel adapt-- ed to bend one end of the wire to form a hook thereon.

8. A wire working machine comprising a mandrel, means adapted to position a wire'underneath said mandrel with one end thereof longer than the other, means adapted to move the wire longitudinally of d mandrel, means located adjacent said mandr ladapted to bend the wire about said mandrel, means located adjacent said mandrel adapted to twist the ends of the wire together, and means located adjacent said mandrel adapted to bend the long end of the wir to form a hook thereon.

9. A wire working machine comprising a mandrel, means adapted to feed -wire to said machine and underneath said mandrel, means adapted to move the wire along said mandrel, means adapted to bend the wire about said mandrel to form the body loop of'a hanger, means adapted to twist the ends of the Wire to form the twisted shank of the hanger, and means adapted to form a hook on one end of the wire.

10. A wire working machine comprising a mandrel, means adapted to feed wire to said machine and underneath said mandrel, means adapted to move the wire along said mandrel, means located adjacent said mandrel adapted to bend the wire thereabout to form the body loop of a hanger, meanslocated adjacent said mandrel adapted to twist the ends of the wire to form the twisted shank of the hanger, and means located adjacent said mandrel adapted to form a hook on one end of said wire.

11. A wire working machine comprising a mandrel, means adapted to feed wire to said machine and underneath said mandrel with one end thereof longer than the other, means adapted to move the wire longitudinally of said mandrel, means adapted to bend the wire about said mandrel, means adapted to twist the ends of the wire together, and means adapted to form a hook on the long end of the wire, all of said means operating upon said wire during its travel along said mandrel.

12. A wire working machine comprising a mandrel, means adapted to feed wire to said machine and underneath said mandrel with one end thereof longer than the other, means adapted to move the wire longitudinally of said mandrel, means located adjacent said mandrel adapted to bend the wire thereabout, means located adjacent said mandrel adapted to twist the ends of the wire together, and means located adjacent said mandrel adapted to bend the long end of the'wire to form a hook, all of said means operating upon said wire during its travel along said mandrel.

13. A wire working machine comprising a mandrel, means adapted to position a wire adjacent said mandrel, means adapted to intermittently move the wire longitudinally of said mandrel, means located adjacent said mandrel adapted to bend the wire around the same, means located adjacent said mandrel adapted to twist the ends of the wire together, and means located adjacent said mandrel adapted to bend one end of the wire to form a hook thereon.

14. A wire working machine comprising a mandrel, means adapted to position wire underneath said mandrel with one end projecting therefrom farther than theother,lneans adapted to intermittently move the wire along said mandrel, means located adjacent said mandrel adapted to bend the wire thereabout, means located adjacent said mandrel adapted to twist the ends of the wire together, and means located adjacent the mandrel adapted to bend the long end of the wire to form a hook thereon, said wire being moved from one of said means to the other in its movement along said mandrel.

15. A wire working machine comprising a mandrel, means adapted to feed wire into said machine and underneath said mandrel, means adapted to intermittently move the wire longitudinally of said mandrel, means adjacent said mandrel adapted to bend the wire thereabout. means adjacent said mandrel adapted to twist the ends of the wire together, and means adapted to bend one end of the wire 'to form a hook thereon, said means operating upon the wire during its travel along said mandrel.

16. A wire working machine comprising a mandrel, meansadapted to position wire adjacent said mandrel, means adapted to intermittently move the wire longitudinally of said mandrel through a plurality of stations, means at said stations for bending the wire about said mandrel, twisting the ends of the wire together, and bending one end of the wire to form a hook thereon.-

17. A wire working machine comprising a mandrel, means adapted to position a wire adjacent said mandrel, means adapted to intermittently move the wire longitudinally of said mandrel through a plurality of stations, means located at said stations adapted to bend the wire about said mandrel, formthe ends into parallel relationship, twist the ends of the wire together, and bend one end of the wire to form a hook thereon.

18. A wire working machine comprising a mandrel, means adapted to position wire adjacent said mandrel, means adapted to intermittently move the wire longitudinally of said mandrel through a plurality of stations, means at the first of said stations adapted to bend the wire about said mandrel, means at the second of said stations adapted to form the ends of the wire into parallel relationship, means located at the third of said stations adapted to twist. the ends of the wire together, and means located at the fourth of said stations adapted to bend one end of the wire to form a hook thereon.

19. A wire working machine comprising a mandrel, means adapted to feed a wire into said machine and underneath said mandrel with one end thereof longer than the other, means adjacent said mandrel adapted to bend the wire thereabout, means adjacent said mandrel adapted to twist the ends of the wire together, means adjacent said mandrel adapted to bend one end of the wire to form a hook therein, and means for transferring the wire from one of said means to the next.

20. The method of forming a garment hanger comprising a body portion and a hook, which comprises bodily moving a wire through a plurality of wire forming stations, bending the wire at one of the stations to form the body portion of the garment hanger, and bending the wire at a subsequent station to form the hook of the garment hanger.

21. The method of forming a garment hanger comprising a body portion, a shank, and a hook, which comprises bodily moving a wire "irough a plurality of wire forming stations, bending the wire at one of the stations to form the body por- 'tion of the garment hanger. twisting the ends of the wire together at another of the stations to form the shank, and bending one end of the wire at a subsequent station to form the hook.

22. Themethod of forming a garment hanger comprising a body portion and a-hook, which comprises moving a wire along a mandrel and through a plurality of wire forming stations, bending the wire about said mandrel at one of the stations to form the body portion of the garment hanger, and bending one end of the wire at a subsequent station to form the hook of the garment hanger.

23. The method of forming a garment hanger which comprises intermittently moving a wire bodily along a mandrel through a plurality of wire forming stations, bending the wire at one of the stations about the mandrel to form the body portion of the garment hanger, bending the ends of the wires to a parallel relationship at another of said stations, twisting the parallel ends of the wire at another station, and bending one end of the wire at a subsequent station to form the hook of the garment hanger.

' 24. The method of forming a garment hanger which comprises, feeding a continuous length of wire in a direction parallel with its axis, cutting the wire into predetermined lengths, moving the cut lengths of wire bodily through a plurality of wire forming stations, and forming the wire at said stations into a garment hanger.

25. The method of forming a garment hanger which comprises, feeding a continuous length of wire in a direction parallel with its axis, cutting the wire into predetermined lengths, moving the cut lengths of wire bodily through a plurality of wire forming stations to form the body portion of the garment hanger, and bending the wire at another of the stations to form a hook.

26. A wire working machine provided with a plurality of wire forming stations comprising, means for moving a wire bodily through. a plurality of the wire forming stations, means located at one of the stations for forming a loop of the wire, and means located at a subsequent station for forming a hook on the wire.

2'7. A wire working machine provided with a plurality of wire forming stations adapted to form a length of wire into a garment hanger comprising, means for moving a' wire bodily through a plurality of the wire forming stations, means located at one of the stations for bending the wire to form the body portion of the garment hanger, and means located at a subsequent station for bending one end of the wire to form a hook thereon.

28. A wire working machine provided with a plurality of wire forming stations adapted to form a length of wire into a garment hanger comprising, means for moving a wire bodily through a plurality of the wire forming stations, means located at one of the stations for bending the wire to form the body portion of the garment hanger, means located at a subsequent station for. bending one end of the wire to form a hook thereon, and means located at one of the'stations for connecting the ends of the wire at the shank of the hanger.

29. A machine for making garment hangers provided with a plurality of wire forming stations comprising, a frame member along which a wire is adapted to be moved, means for moving a wire along said frame member from one of the stations to another, means at one of the stations for bending the wire to form the body portion of the hanger, and means at a subsequent station for bending one end of the wire to form a hook thereon.

30. A machine for making garment hangers provided with a plurality of wire forming stations comprising, a frame member along which a wire is adapted to be moved, means for moving the wire along saidframe member from one of said stations to another, means at one of the stations for bending the wire to form the body portion of the hanger, means at a subsequent station for bending one end of the wire to form a hook thereon, and means at another station for connecting the wires together at the shank of the hanger.

31. In a machine provided with a plurality of wire forming stations for making garment hang- 5 ers from a length of wire, the combination of, a mandrel, means for moving the wire along said mandrel from one of the stations to another,

. of the wire together, and means located adjacent said mandrel at a subsequent station for bending one end of the wire to form a hook thereon.

32. In a wire working machine provided with a plurality of wire forming stations for making a garment hanger out of a length of wire, the combination of, a mandrel, means adapted to position the wire adjacent said mandrel with one end of the wire longer than the other, means adapted to move the wire longitudinally of said mandrel, means at one of said stations for bending the wire about said mandrel to form the body portion of. the garment hanger, means located at another of the stations for connecting the ends of the wire together, and means located at a subsequent station for bending the long end of the wire to form a hook thereon.

33. In a machine for making garment hangers the combination of, a mandrel, means adapted to position a wire adjacent said mandrel with one end thereof longer than the other, means for moving a wire along said mandrel through a plurality of wire forming stations, means at one or said stations for bending the wire about said mandrel to form the body loop of the garment hanger, and means at a subsequent station for bending the long end of the wire to form a hook thereon.

34. In a garment hanger forming machine thecombination of, a'mandrel, means adapted to position a wire adjacent said mandrel with one end thereof longer than the other, means adapted to intermittently move the wire along said mandrel through a plurality of wire forming stations, means at one of the stations for bending the wire about said mandrel toform the body loop of the garmenthanger, means atone of said stations for connecting the ends of the wire together, and means at one of said stations for bending the long end .of the wire to form a hook thereon.

35. In a garment hanger forming machine the combination of, a mandrel, means for positioning a Wire' adjacent said mandrel with one end thereof longer than the other, means for transferring the wire longitudinally of said mandrel to a plurality of wire forming stations, means located at one of, the stations for bending the wire about said mandrel, a slotted gear positioned at one of said stations for twisting the ends of I the wire together, and means located at one of said stations for bending the long end of the wire to form a hook thereon.

EDWARD H. SCHANE. 

